When 5:00 on Friday hits we let our inhibitions run wild. Adults running from their jobs on a Friday evening looks a lot like the last day of school – mass exodus. We trade our pencil skirts for yoga pants and get 48 hours to just not care. Is that the best approach? Probably not.
Everyone says they’re going to start a diet on a Monday. So why make yourself live in a constant cycle of re-starting every Monday? Here are five things to consider before you uphold your Saturday night cookie bake-a-thon.
1. Stop thinking of it like a diet. If you’re on a diet, then the cyclical nature of five good days and two “bad” days just feeds the machine. However, if you’re just living, just eating well, being active, and being cognizant of your habits, then it’s not about ditching a diet or splurging or rewarding yourself.
2. Keep it all in balance. If you over do it on dessert at your friend’s wedding, then don’t stop for ice cream on the road trip home. If you’re kicking off the weekend by grilling burgers on Friday night, maybe grill chicken on Saturday. It’s OK to give in a little, but you don’t have to throw away all of your efforts just for a little weekend romp with calories.
3. You finally have the time. You spend all week rushing through breakfast, getting to work on time, packing lunches, racing from meetings to soccer games and trying to make dinner. It’s all too much for most of us. So if you’re ever guilty of saying “I don’t have time,” then consider two whole days that aren’t eaten up mostly by work. Hit a yoga class, go for a run, heck, just go play at the park with your kids. Just move!
4. Stop working against yourself. If you’re starting off two days behind every Monday, your goals are just going to keep getting pushed further back. Just keep moving forward. Carrots are a lot easier to chase than to go hunting for.
5. The sweet taste of accomplishment. Imagine waking up on Monday morning and not regretting, not rethinking your weekend, and just embracing the week ahead. That would feel pretty good, right? Not to mention a lot better than a case of the Mondays! Try balancing your goals with your urges this weekend and see how much better you feel come Monday morning.
